A TAUNTON store has offered their assistance to Barron's of Chard - described by ITV News as an "institution" - that closed permanently in November - after running for 42 years.

South West School Wear owners John and Mandy had intended to sell the business as a growing concern but, they informed us that the potential buyer pulled out only days before completion of the sale.

READ MORE: Chard store closes permanently as owners retire after over 40 years

READ MORE: Chard owners of 42-year-old shop that has permanently closed say goodbye

John Barron, who is now 72 years old, had owned and run the business for 42 years with his wife – who did admin and ran the accounts - before they decided to close shop.

“The decision to close was taken after spending many months progressing a sale that failed to complete. It was with very mixed emotions that we decided we had no option but to close,” John and Mandy Barron said.

They added that running a business is very hard work and very time consuming and in the current economic climate another sale could have taken many months or even years to come to fruition.

“As a family we did not feel we had the resilience to start the sale process all over again,” they said.

South West School wear in Taunton reportedly came to their aid just at the right moment, offering to supply the primary school uniforms that Barron's of Chard previously stocked – thus ensuring the continuity of supply for those schools.

Barron’s of Chard prior to closing also donated all of their remaining unsold Holyrood School PE kit to St Margaret’s Somerset Hospice charity shop.